* “The L.E.D. Quandary: Why There’s No Such Thing as ‘Built to Last.’” reminds me of Unicomp, which faces similar challenges. As you’ll learn from the preceding link, in the 1980s, IBM made the Model M, a keyboard famous among hackers and writers for its quality, tactile feel, and longevity. Eventually IBM got out of the hardware business and Unicomp took over IBM’s Kentucky manufacturing machines. Today, however, Unicomp has a problem similar to L.E.D. makers: its primary product can last for decades, depriving the company of recurrent revenue from users who would otherwise need to replace their keyboards. From an NPR story: “That old school-industry is still alive in this converted furniture factory and it has the appreciation of certain aging nerds. But those guys just don’t make Unicomp enough money. The trouble with Model M is they rarely break down…”